


sleep tight (in a new light)

by archetypically



Series: tumblr prompt fills [1]
Category: Guardians of the Galaxy (Comics), Marvel (Comics), Marvel 616, Nova (Comics)
Genre: Hints of OT3, I have a lot of feelings about aftermaths and also these three, Multi, Post-Annihilation, Prompt Fic, Tumblr Prompt, but nothing super major
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-01
Updated: 2019-08-01
Packaged: 2020-07-28 21:49:22
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 567
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20071126
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/archetypically/pseuds/archetypically
Summary: He practically collapses where he stands when they all teleport back, thinkspracticallywould’ve been adefinitelyif Peter’s arm hadn’t been there to grab him at the last second and keep him upright. Which is sort of a metaphor for the United Front and the whole damn war, in a way; how many times would the whole thing have fallen apart, how many times would he have fallen flat on his face and betrayed himself to everyone as a Long Island schmuck in way over his head rather than some kind of leader that can be counted on, if it weren’t for Peter having his back, his arm, or anything else? Maybehe’dkilled Annihilus in the end, and it’d been the result of his own insane plan, but he would’ve never been in the position to make it in the first place without Peter.PeterorGamora, both. He wouldn’t have made it to the end of this war without both of them by his side.Or: moments after the war.





	sleep tight (in a new light)

**Author's Note:**

> prompt #41 from [this list](https://carolsjdnvers.tumblr.com/post/186562276945/send-me-a-ship-and-a-number-and-i-will-write-a)

It’s over.

In the moment, even with scattered remnants of Annihilus’s guts on his glove, Rich is having a hard time wrapping his mind around it, but the fact remains true. After more than two-hundred days of fighting, which had honestly started to feel more like two-hundred _years_, it’s over.

It’s over, he mouths the words to himself, testing their weight. We saved the universe.

He practically collapses where he stands when they all teleport back, thinks _practically_ would’ve been a _definitely_ if Peter’s arm hadn’t been there to grab him at the last second and keep him upright. Which is sort of a metaphor for the United Front and the whole damn war, in a way; how many times would the whole thing have fallen apart, how many times would he have fallen flat on his face and betrayed himself to everyone as a Long Island schmuck in way over his head rather than some kind of leader that can be counted on, if it weren’t for Peter having his back, his arm, or anything else? Maybe _he’d_ killed Annihilus in the end, and it’d been the result of his own insane plan, but he would’ve never been in the position to make it in the first place without Peter.

Peter _or_ Gamora, both. He wouldn’t have made it to the end of this war without both of them by his side.

Speaking of….

Gamora doesn’t -- rush to them, exactly, because that’s not her style, but she moves with speed and purpose. When she approaches, her eyes scan him, lingering on injuries that he’s guessing somehow look even worse than they feel.

“You’re a fool, Richard-human,” she says after a moment, in a voice that most would (understandably) interpret as harsh. But in the months since the fighting began, he’s gotten to know Gamora in a spotty collection of short breaths and stolen moments, and it’s enough that he’s tuned in to pay attention to the tiny details. There’s a crease at her eye and a line on her mouth, different from her customary practiced neutrality, and he swears that he doesn’t imagine spotting the slight tremor in her hand.

He swallows, opens his mouth to say something, but with the amount of effort it’s taking just to keep standing right now, he finds that he doesn’t have the words.

“Can you get his other side?” he hears Peter call over his head to Gamora. “Idiot’s lucky to be alive, and he’s not giving us a whole lot else. Probably’ll take me down with him before long.”

It’s a testament to how worried she must have _really_ been that she does this without a word, carefully draping his dangling arm over her shoulders and rebalancing him. That she briefly presses her lips to his forehead before pulling away to look back at Peter and nod.

“Easy, Richie,” Peter says then, as adjusts the weight on him with the added support. “Don’t be a stubborn flarking asshole and fight us. You do, and this is gonna take longer than you’ve got. Just trust us, okay?”

Before Rich has time to respond, Peter leans in to press a quick kiss to his temple, too.

It’s over, it’s really over, and Rich has no idea what happens now. But as they, the three of them, take that first slow step of many, he thinks -- they’ll figure it out.

Somehow.

**Author's Note:**

> always accepting prompts and general screaming about marvel cosmic on [tumblr](carolsjdnvers.tumblr.com)!


End file.
